Tree at Brierly reserve in Warrnambool to be removed

The "dangerous" avenue of cypress trees that line the drive have been earmarked for removal for more than a decade but no timeline has been set for them to go.

But the one that lost a big branch at the weekend will soon get the chop.

Nearby resident Robert Nichol said he had to look twice when he noticed the large branch had fallen on Sunday morning because the location was a spot for people - who have nowhere to live - to regularly shelter in their cars.

"I looked twice to see it wasn't on top of a car. Fortunately it wasn't," he said.

Mr Nichol said he had seen people park at the exact spot where the tree landed.

"The photo doesn't do it justice. It's a huge lump of a tree," Mr Nichol said.

He said the big wind storm in September also brought "decent-sized" branches from the cypress trees in Brierly reserve.

"They become dangerous and clearly that one is dangerous," he said.

"When something like that falls you can't run fast enough."

He said cypress trees had been there for more than 60 years and were subject to fungal disease and rot which was why people across the south-west are pulling them out.

Mr Nichol said looking at the trees, he questioned whether they needed to be removed for safety reasons before someone was injured.

He said he had notified the council about the fallen tree.

A Warrnambool City Council spokesman said the tree with the broken branch had been reviewed and quotes for its removal were being sought.

"For trees of this size and nature, the cost will be determined by a competitive procurement process," the spokesman said.

"The future of the avenue of cypress trees has gone through community consultation and it's proposed that they be removed as part of the Brierly Reserve Master Plan."

The plan, which dates back to 2012, labels the trees "dangerous" and suggests the staged removal of the cypress trees lining the main drive and replacing them with indigenous native trees.

"Details of removal and replacement will be determined through the detailed design in future stages of the redevelopment."

The council last year unveiled its four-stage $16.6 million plan to turn the area into a community hub incorporating sporting facilities, a kinder, satellite library and art space.

Stage one of the project - to upgrade the playing surface - is currently underway.

The council says it will continue to monitor the safety of the trees at Brierly and manage them as required.

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